SADC calls for a Government of National Unity in DRC following strong objection to the Provisional Election Results

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has said that given the strong objections to the provisional results of the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called on all political leaders to consider a negotiated political settlement for an all-inclusive government.

In a statement released to the media today and signed by President Lungu’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda, SADC encourages all stakeholders in the DRC elections to pursue a negotiated political settlement for a government of national unity.

In his capacity as chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, President Lungu said that he has spoken to leaders of SADC and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

President Lungu said that has also spoken to the provisionally proclaimed winner, Mr. Felix Tsisekedi and other stakeholders within and outside of the DRC.

“SADC draws the attention of Congolese politicians to similar arrangements that were very successful in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya where governments of national unity created the necessary stability for durable peace.”

“SADC therefore encourages all parties to enter into a political process towards a government of national unity in order to enhance public confidence, build bridges and reinforce democratic institutions of government and electoral process for a better Congo,” he said.

According to the statement, SADC has urged DRC authorities to swiftly resolve all elements of doubt that could undermine the fairly successive general election and pose a danger to the peace and stability of the country.

SADC has taken note of the strong doubts cast on the poll outcome by Roman Catholic Church in the DRC which had deployed more than 40,000 monitors; the opposition Lamuka coalition, and other observers and therefore feels a recount would provide the necessary re-assurance to both winners and losers.

It is therefore imperative that at this very crucial moment, all DRC politicians commit to actions and processes that do not escalate tensions any further.

SADC expresses solidarity with the government and the people of the DRC for organizing a relatively successful election that inspires hope that the country was on a path towards democratic consolidation.

62 COMMENTS

Counter intuitive as usual, Zambia had an election petition in 2016 and PF/SADC blatantly chose to ignore it. What moral ground has ECL/PF/SADC to advise Congo DR to consider a Govt of national unity. SADC is as toothless as can ever be

I said it a few days ago, it was premature to give ECL a pat on the back for successful Congo elections…..there you go, the same ECL is now calling for a government of national unity.
ECL, please try again…

By George Chellah.
If The Gambia was in Southern Africa Yahya Jammeh would still be President because SADC is moribund.
Not until the DRC erupts again that’s when we will all be asking about what happened, like really? Are we Africans serious? And this is my point of departure with the so- called advocates of the African renaissance because their theory is utopian and crafted in such a lame manner that according to them, the only true African leader is one who is blood thirsty and with dictatorial tendencies, and whenever the West calls for order in such a state, they cry interference and imperialism. In this moment you will hear all manner of colonial history and reminders about the West and their atrocious attitude pre-colonial stage but they tactfully never recite this dark history…

Continued
… dark history whenever Western taxpayers sacrifice their monies through aid to rescue the misgoverned hence suffering masses.
In a way, and looking at how we have perfected the art of mismanaging ourselves and ruthlessly so, I think the West has a right to call us to order or stop the rot whenever we unashamedly act like animals towards each other. So with what has happened in the DRC you expect the West to keep quiet and yet first on Felix Tshisekedi’s shopping lists is to visit European capitals and the US with a begging bowl asking for resources to rebuild the DRC. What are you rebuilding when you’re a fraud? When you fully know that you’re ruling via deceit.
Surprising enough, those fanaticals with misplaced hope and faith expect a product of fraud of gigantic…

DRC will never be free…its curse is its natural resources..those who claim to assist only want in..the likes of France and Belgium with its evil past of King Leopold who slaughtered 10 million Africans are not happy with the outcome because the winner is not their puppet.

@Jay Jay,
So Africans are giving Belgium and France a strong case if SADC is backing off from supporting the winner and instead settling for Government of National Unity (GNU).
By opting for GNU, it means SADC doubts the outcome of the elections….so that is the source

general Kanene – SADC is a no starter simply a talkshop of useless leaders…if DRC was in West Africa Kabila would have been kicked out of the country long ago like what happened in Gambia. He would have had the influence he had to even bar Katumbi. As for France and Beligum history will tell you that they always have their way when it comes to DRC…Govts of national unity never work especially in Africa.

Its the Zambia 2016 General elections happening again in the Democratic Republic Congo.
Compromised elections commission and a potentially compromised Constitution court .Its Kabila and Tetshekedi now playing by the African dictators rule book.
It happened in Cameroun,Uganda, Madagascar,Zambia….The cancer has spread all over the continent.

The UN Security Council needs to take unfree and unfair elections as a threat to global security. AU, SADC … are just a bunch jokers, just there to perpetuate their stay in power disregarding the will of the people.

Where was SADCC when PF stole elections in Zambia? We wait and see what SADCC will do should Lungu drizzle people’s vote in 2021. He is so quick with DRC election as if he conducts credible elections at home. Come back for dialogue we tell you how you steal votes.

DRC already have some instability going on in the ebola affected region. It would be unwise to let this impasse to go on and on. The quick solution to the challenge of election results is a government of national unity which is likely to be more successful at fostering peace than a settlement through the judicial system that is untested for fairness. Let us support our president and SADC for their sound and progressive position under the current circumstances. When DRC errupts, neighboring countries including Zambia get flooded with refugees and it takes a long time to receive inadequate aid from UN for upkeep of refugees.

@ 8 Alam, EXCELLENT CONTRIBUTION!! I am NOT a fun of Lungu but on this he has done a good job! What most commentators are forgetting is that the context in which all this happening; the election was NOT free and fair, the main opposition has contested while the so called winner has no majority in parliament to run Govt which means Kabila will appoint a Prime Minister to run Government and appoint Ministers. In fact, the MAIN OPPOSITION which has taken the case to court is HAPPY WITH THE PROPOSAL as it is inline with the on-going legal process and will help to discuss other critical issues beyond the Presidency which can lead to more national cohesion enactment of more reforms to guarantee better future elections! NECESSITY KNOWS NO LAW!!

#1.5 Jay Gay, trib.al as you may be, Esther is a beloved mother to all sensible and civilised Zambians (including me) who are in the majority as you know.
I don’t know where you live, maybe in trib.al land, but Esther was in the news the other day hosting an important AIDS meeting for stakeholders including UNAIDS at State House. As for the President, he instructed the evacuation of one of your trib.al, Mulongoty. Surely you must be marooned in some trib.al lagoon wishing us evil for the sake of your trib.al who will never be President at this rate of trib.al reasoning.

Look at this moron typing away ..Chawama old hen Ester meybe your mom but not mine…you daft tins think someone being first lady by default makes them your mother…stick to spewing the tribal dirt you are good at …empty tin!!

#7.2 Jay Gay, “People give Lazy Lungu too much credit…the man is utterly useless simply handpicked in that position by Sata because he would have easily stepped aside had the old man returned”.
So even when Mr Sata was dying you were in a trib.al lagoon? You know that President Lungu handed over power to Guy Scott and went through a democratic process before becoming President? Trib.al, are you trying to change history to suit your trib.al? Trib.al has really eaten away at what remained of your trib.al brain! Can’t believe that Zambia still has trib.al things in its boundaries? That is if your trib.al lagoon is in Zambia?

….Don’t forget that your Trib.al Hacks has never been through a democratic convention, well not even a trib.al one, and just now he is avoiding a convention like leprosy. This will catch up with him in 2021, see what is happening to Chimbwili and the national dialogue? Law is law, bwana, no matter how many headless lawyers you can hire!

The problem in the DRC is Joseph Kabila, he shouldn’t have any role in the Governance of the DRC from now onwards. If he tries to be funny he should be arrested, it will be difficult for Congo DR to progress with Kabila around.

Does the Constitution of DRC provide for establishment of Government of National Unity? If not, then the SADC proposal is a waste of time because such a move would be unconstitutional. SADC should promote constitutional change of governments not unconstitutional way. If Kabila has stolen the election, the appropriate action within the DRC Constitution should be applied to remedy the situation. If he refuses to budge to constitutional arrangements, then the SADC Protocol must be triggered to rid Kabila and his surrogates…..as simple as that!

Coalition gov’ts are never secure and lead to disagreements along the line. DRC, is too divided to expect that unity to last more than 24 hrs into the new gov’ts. If this is a sign of thinking for future Zambia, forget about it! They should recount and ask losers to accept. The margin of FATSis win was narrow, but Democracy decrees he won.

Africans need strong one party gov’ts to win or our leaders and Cadres will spend all their time sourcing the right poison to rid of the other! No turning their backs against eachother or Ceasear will come back to testify. FATSis won; to him the spoils.

Is that not supporting the candidate that is purportedly to have won the election? Let them do what their constitution do, Fayulu is just following the constitution and he is within the confines of the law. If you say that will be costly for the country, wasn’t then the constitution organisers realise that?
That Martin Fayulu won the election. SADC from the word go has never supported a complainant in any election. Can you as SADC for the first time follow right procedures.

Is that not supporting the candidate that is purportedly to have won the election? Let them do what their constitution do, Fayulu is just following the constitution and he is within the confines of the law. If you say that will be costly for the country, were the constitution organisers not aware of that?

That Martin Fayulu won the election. SADC from the word go has never supported a complainant in any election. Can you as SADC for the first time follow right procedures.

I am NOT a fun of Lungu but on this he has done a good job! What most commentators are forgetting is the context in which all this is happening; the election was NOT free and fair, the main opposition has contested while the so called winner has no majority in parliament to run Govt which means Kabila will appoint a Prime Minister to run Government and appoint Ministers. Kabila himself will be in Senate and with majority may be elected is speaker! In fact, the MAIN OPPOSITION which has taken the case to court is HAPPY WITH THE PROPOSAL so are other International and local organisations as it is inline with the on-going legal process. The GNU will help to discuss and resolve other critical issues beyond the Presidency. This can then lead to more national cohesion, enactment of more…

Let the law be respected by the Congolese for the Congolese. SADC cannot impose what is not available in the Congo laws. GNU is not there just as it is not there? a Loser goes to Court just as in Zambia. If the period lapses so be it as it is in Zambia…. No Zambians or ECL or foreigner can dictate how Congolese should manage their election dispute…….. IF the West or EU are denied advice so should also other African government… If Congo is on fire, let the blame be on Congolese only . I think African must learn a lesson of integrity and set higher standards…. The idea of worshipping leaders like in Zambia, UGanda,Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan must stop………Many African leaders condemn the WESt and Europe for their failures……. In Zambians the colonialist are still blame for…

Look at Sunday Changa or Antonio Mwanza how they behave…. I would think that Zambia under Lungu is heaven on earth…. They speak with great insolence against fellow politicians……They even wish treason for other politicians….. Sad , what a waste of brain .
I wish they are sent as press attache to Israel and they can see how Jews behave and think big……..Ask Mumbi Phiri what she doing to contribute to national development…. what economical activity is she involved?
Being a former preschool teacher , ask her if she has a preschool for the vulnerable?